Abstract
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people have formed part of the population of forced migrants over many generations (Ressler et al, 1988). Despite this being the case, research studies that have attempted to explore the ways in which these children attempt to resettle their lives in unfamiliar surroundings and how social workers (and others) assist their efforts to do so have been, at least until recently, relatively thin on the ground. This chapter provides a focus on placement as a major arena of resettlement, as the place in which children and young people first try to rebuild their lives, find a renewed sense of peace, security and belonging and through which they attempt to develop new networks of support. It reviews what is currently known about factors affecting assessment and making placements, describes the range of placements that are used for different groups of unaccompanied children and young people, the experiences of children in different placement settings and points to what we know (and do not yet know) about how placements can be used, and supported, to assist the resettlement of unaccompanied children. In doing so, it draws on findings from a recent study that investigated social work services for unaccompanied children (Wade et al, 2005).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Child Placement Handbook: Research, policy and practice |
| Editors | G Schofield, J Simmonds |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | British Association for Adoption and Fostering |
| Pages | pp. 382-400 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-905664-46-7 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- refugees/asylum seekers
- social work issues